Tape dispenser



Dec. 11, 1962 M. M. MAIN 3,067,514

TAPE DISPENSER Filed Sept. 26, 1960 INVENTOR.

This invention relates to tape dispensing devices and particularly to such devices which are adapted to dispense non-tacky tape.

The object of this invention is to provide a container for a roll of tape, the container having a hinged or otherwise movable cover to provide access to the interior of the container for the insertion thereinto of a roll of tape, a slotted side through which the tape is dispensed, and means detachably secured to the container for cutting off a selected length of tape.

As a more specific object, this invention has within its purview the provision of a container for tape, wherein the container has a hinged lid through which a roll of tape may be inserted thereinto, and a slotted side through which the inserted roll may be dispensed, with a tape cutting device adapted to be removably placed over the dispensing side of the container in such manner that while the cutting device is in place, the hinged lid cannot be swung to its open position, and the roll is therefore protected from contamination even though the container may be dropped or otherwise mishandled.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of this invention when taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred form of container to be used in this invention, showing a roll of tape therein and the hinged lid thereof in open position, the container being shown resting on its end wall;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container of FIG. 1, showing the hinged lid in closed position and a tape cutofi device mounted on a container in a manner to hold the lid in its closed position;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view on an enlarged scale, of the cut-off device of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of the device of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the cut-off device.

Referring now to the drawings for a detailed explanation of the form on invention therein depicted, the roll of tape is shown at and is comprised of a core 11 of cardboard or the like on which tape 12 is rolled. Said tape 12, for purposes of illustration, may be a thin ribbon of a polytetrafluoroethylene, or it may be any material which is not tacky and hence will unwind freely from the roll and will slide over metal surfaces. Roll 10 is encased in a container 13 of flat, rectangular form, having front and back walls 14, 15 respectively, end walls 16 and 17, a bottom wall 18 and a hinged lid or top wall 19. It is understood that the expressions top, bottom, side, and end as used here are relative and do not refer to the actual position of the walls as depicted in the accompanying drawings inasmuch as the container 13 is portable and may be held with any of the walls in top, bottom, etc. position.

End wall 16 has a slot 20 formed therein through which the tape 12 is drawn, and dispensed. Lid '19 has a peripheral flange 21 which gives it rigidity and which is preferably designed to abut on the adjacent ends of the walls 14, 15, 16 and 17. Suitable hinges 22, 23, serve to hold lid 19 on wall 15 in swinging relation thereto, and a pair of snap latches 24, hold the lid firmly in closed position. Container 13, including lid 19, hinges 22 and 23, and snap latches 24 and 25 are preferably made of a moldable material to reduce the cost thereof. The material may be transparent, at least over bottom wall 13 or lid 19, to render the roll 13 and the quantity of tape thereon visible from the exterior of the container.

Container 13 forms a complete unit and serves to keep the tape within in clean condition. Although it is inexpensive, it can, nevertheless, be used continuously with changes of rolls as each roll of tape is exhausted. The snap latch for lid 19 will remain closed even though the container may be dropped accidentally.

Inasmuch as the tape dispensed from container 13 may require the use of a knife, scissors, or other cutting tool to sever a section of tape from the roll, it is a feature of this invention that a cutting tool may be optionally mounted on container 13, said cutting tool being so constructed as to, first, insure that lid 19 is in closed condition and, second, that the tape may be cut with the use of only one hand, that is, the cutting tool will hold the tape in position for cutting so that all that is necessary is for the operator to press a hinged cutting tool against the tape to effect a severance of the desired section of the tape from the roll. The cutting tool is shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, inclusive, to which reference is now made.

The cutting tool in the form selected to illustrate this invention is comprised of an assemblage of stampings including, first, a base stamping 26 which extends across side 16 of container 13, flange 21 and the outside surface of lid 19. Integrally formed with base 26 are downwardlydepending side flanges 27 and 28 which are designed to fit snugly against the outer surfaces of bottom wall 18 and lid 19' so that the base member 26 is held on container 13 frictionally by the flanges 27 and 28. A latching effect is obtained to further assist in holding the base member on container 13 by forming a peripheral head 29 around the outside surface of lid 19 and, similarly, around the outside surface of bottom wall 18 and then forming small buttons 30 and 31 in the opposed surfaces of flanges 27 and 28 to interlock with the peripheral beads. Thus, the flanges 27 and 28 not only tend to hold the base member 26 on container 13 through the frictional forces developed therebetween, but a positive interlock is also formed between the buttons 30 and 31 and the peripheral beads to prevent any accidental removal of the cutting tool from the container or to provide a holding effect even after the frictional forces may have been dissipated due to wear of the engaged surfaces on the container.

At the rear region of base 26, the material of the flanges 27 and 28 is bent upwardly instead of downwardly to form spaced ears 32, 33 which act as supports for hinge pins 34 upon which are pivotally mounted the downwardly extending spaced ears 35, 36 of the support 37 for the cutting tool. Said support 37 is similarly a stamping and has a downwardly bent flange 33 at the forward end thereof, said flange in turn supporting a thin hardened steel blade 39. Said blade may be secured to the flange by soldering, brazing, or other means. The double thickness provided by the flange and blade serves to give rigidity to the blade.

The forward end of base 26 is bent upwardly at 44 and then backwardly at 4-1 to provide, in effect, a resilient clamp for holding an anvil 42 of relatively soft metal against which the blade 39 may press. It is contemplated that the tape to be cut off will be extended horizontally over base 26 and anvil '42 so that when the cutting tool support 37 and the blade 39 are pressed against the tape while the latter is extended over anvil 42, such downward pressure upon the blade causes the latter to sever the tape held therebetween. A U-shaped spring 43 is interposed between base 26 and blade support 37 to hold the support in a raised position'relative to base 26. Spring 43 may comprise a relatively wide portion 44 of thin, flat spring steel spot-welded to the inner surface of blade support 37 and relatively long fingers 45, 46 integral therewith which are spaced apart to permit the tape to pass therebetween and which rest or bear against the upper surface of base 26. Spring 43 is disposed With its curved central portion as close to the hinge pin 34 as is conveniently possible to avoid excessive sliding action between the fingers 45, 46 and the upper surface of the base member 26.

An opening 47 is formed in base 26 over slot 241 in wall 16 of container 13 through which the tape may pass toward anvil 42. Said opening 4-7 is made larger than slot 26 to facilitate threading the tape therethrough.

To use tle container, a roll of tape such as is inserted into the container through the open top thereof, and the free end of the tape is inserted laterally into slot 20. With the hinged lid 19 snapped shut, the container may be used Without the cut-ofi device to dispense tape through said slot, the tape then being cut ofi by any suitable means, as desired. The container may be reused and the quantity of tape remaining on the roll in the container may be readily estimated by observation through the transparent lid 19 or through the bottom opposite the lid.

Where the container is to be furnished with the cut-oi? device described above, said device may first be snapped over peripheral beads 29 on lid 19 and bottom Wall 18 adjacent the slotted end wall 16 of the closed container. In this position it serves as a clamp or lock for holding lid 19 in its closed position. The free end of the tape 10, which had previously been inserted in slot 20, is then brought out through opening 47 in the cut-off device and forward over anvil 42. The desired length of tape may be drawn out beyond blade 39 with one hand and, with the container in the other hand, the blade 39 is pressed against the tape and anvil by pressing the blade support 37 against anvil 42 with the thumb. The desired section of tape is thus severed, leaving a loose end under the hinged blade support. This loose end may be reached from the side of the container, pulled laterally, i.e., toward lid 19, then forwardly around blade 39, and then across anvil 42 until the next desired length of tape has been extended out beyond anvil 42. This next length is then cut off as described above.

The foregoing combination of cut-off tool. and transparent container thus provides a handy carrier for a roll of tape which protects the roll and insures that the tool normally needed when the tape is used, is available With the roll. The hinged lid is held in closed position by the cut-off tool, and the latter is held frictionally on the container for easy application and removal. When applied to a container, the cut-off tool holds the lid in closed position and thus provides additional protection against accident at opening of the container and the resultant contamination of the roll of tape.

It is understood that the foregoing description is merely illustrative of a preferred embodiment of the invention and that the scope of the invention is not to be limited thereto but is to be determined by the appended claim.

I claim:

A tape cut-ofl? device having a base with an opening therein, parallel side flanges depending from the base and adapted to embrace the sides of a container for tape, one end of said base being bent transversely of the flanges away from and then back parallel to itself, an anvil retained on the base by said bent end, upstanding spaced ears at the other end of said base, a cutting tool support extending over the base, means for pivotally mounting said support on the upstanding ears, a cutting tool secured to said support and adapted to be pressed against the anvil to cut tape or the like extending therebetween, and U-shaped resilient means acting upon the base and support for urging them apart, said resilient means having a solid leg bearing against said cutting tool support and a bifurcated leg bearing against said base, said bifurcated legs straddling the opening in the base.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,829,577 Anderson Oct. 27, 1931 2,272,628 Anderson Feb. 10, 1942 2,677,177 Herckelbout May 4, 1954 2,734,576 Slezak Feb. 14, 1956 2,889,879 Campbell June 9, 1959 

